Plage vs. côte
While the French words plage and côte both relate to the area where land meets the sea, they are not interchangeable. Plage refers to a specific beach for recreation, whereas côte describes the entire, much larger coastline of a region.
Plage
A1The word plage translates to beach. It specifically refers to the stretch of sand or pebbles right next to a body of water (sea, ocean, lake) where people typically go to sunbathe, swim, and relax. It is a specific, local spot.
Les enfants adorent jouer sur la plage.
(The children love to play on the beach.)
Nous avons trouvé une petite plage secrète loin de la foule.
(We found a small, secret beach far from the crowd.)
N'oublie pas la crème solaire et ta serviette de plage.
(Don't forget the sunscreen and your beach towel.)
Cette plage de galets est magnifique au coucher du soleil.
(This pebble beach is magnificent at sunset.)
Le restaurant offre une vue imprenable sur la plage.
(The restaurant offers a breathtaking view of the beach.)
Côte
A2The word côte translates to coast or coastline. It refers to the entire geographical line where a landmass meets the sea. It is a large-scale feature that can include many beaches, cliffs, rocky shores, and towns.
La Côte d'Azur est une destination touristique très populaire.
(The French Riviera (the Azure Coast) is a very popular tourist destination.)
Nous avons fait un voyage en voiture le long de la côte ouest.
(We took a road trip along the west coast.)
La côte normande est célèbre pour ses falaises blanches.
(The Normandy coast is famous for its white cliffs.)
De nombreux villages de pêcheurs sont installés sur la côte.
(Many fishing villages are established on the coast.)
L'érosion est un problème majeur pour la protection de la côte.
(Erosion is a major problem for the protection of the coast.)
Summary
In essence, a côte (coast) is a large geographical region, and along this côte, you can find one or many plages (beaches). You drive along the côte, but you lay your towel down on the plage.